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Pastor David Mitchell
Corinthians this morning and we will begin, we're going to read through the first of these verses down to where we're going to start today. 1st Corinthians 2, 2,. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling in my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God albeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect yet not the wisdom of this world nor the princes of this world that come to naught.
We talked about the fact that the Bible says you are those who are perfect. It doesn't mean in a sinless state yet but it does mean complete. You have everything you need to have in Christ. You don't need to add anything to it.
You don't need to add religiosity or religion of any kind that man could come up with. You are complete in Christ. We went into Colossians chapter 2 verses 9 through 21 and we found in that passage that the reason that we're complete is because first of all the flesh no longer has any right of lordship over us.
Secondly because we are risen and we have a new nature in Christ the new man. Thirdly because we're risen together with Christ which means we have a oneness our spirit with his spirit are one when we're spirit filled.
And fourth because we're forgiven in Christ. Fifth because we are freed from the ordinances of this world including the law and everything that was given for an earthly people because we are a spiritual people.
That's why it says wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of this world why. As though living in the world are you subject to ordinances. Touch not taste not handle not. Why are you subject to that.
You shouldn't be. You are above it because you are seated in the heavenlies in Christ. We're also freed from the principalities of Satan and his demons we they have no lordship over us. We're also freed from all the cult groups and the legalism and the Judaizers of today.
You don't have to worship on Saturday because we have an everyday all the time rest our Sabbath in Christ and we are complete in him seated above all the ordinances of the world and all of this world's religion.
We'd better be above that because more and more of this world's religion is coming. I don't know if you heard that the goal of the new Pope is but his goal is to bring all religions together in one peace among all the religions is his number one goal of the new Pope.
Now back to first Corinthians chapter 2 verse 7. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the foundation of the world and to our glory. That is the mystery of the church age that is the mystery of being complete in Christ.
It makes no sense to this world. It makes no sense to the Catholics. Make no sense the Mormons or any of the isms that are out there. Because all of man's religion is based upon a system of works. And God's mysterious religion of the church age is based on being in Christ.
Period. You cannot add to that. You cannot take away from that. Being in Christ causes you to be complete. That's why the Apostle Paul said that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men. You see men make up the religions of the world.
If you've ever been caught up in any of that I have then you know how bad it is legalism of any sort of matter. If you put a name on it's not the Catholics that the Baptists do it. The independent Baptists are the worst.
But our faith is not to stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. How be it. We speak wisdom among them that are perfect. That's the Christians those who are in Christ. Now as we look back at 1st Corinthians chapter 2 and we see this hidden wisdom.
It goes on in verse 8 which none of the princes of this world knew about. If they had they wouldn't have crucified Jesus. Why did they crucify him. Because he didn't play ball with their religion. He didn't get in underneath their religious hierarchy that the men had invented of the day under that day it was Judaism.
But man continually in all groups adds things to God's Word and creates rules and so forth that they try to put men under that they themselves can't keep. Jesus didn't count out of that at all and so therefore after three years of that they had had all they can stand.
They picked up stones several times to stone him. When he said if you believe not he said you shall die in your sins. If you believe not that I am you shall die in your sins. They picked up stones to kill him several times and finally they took him to the cross.
Because the Bible says which the princes of this world had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory if they had known the mystery of the church age the fact that we are complete in him and we don't need man's religion.
If they had known that they wouldn't have crucified him. But they didn't know it. And today men still don't know it. But as it is written I hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed revealed them unto us by his spirit. For the spirit searches all things yea the deep things of God. So we're talking about how to have the mind of Christ. There are some preliminary necessities that we've already discussed.
One is the fact that the Holy Spirit has a ministry of revelation to us. We must have his mind revealed to us. Secondly we must understand the idea of justification that we are justified not because of works that we do not because of religious systems we're a part of.
We're justified because on the moment that we were born again God gave us the Holy Spirit. Our body became the temple of the Living God and he gave us a new nature. He gave us the divine nature the Apostle Peter records for us.
And we cannot dwell habitually in the flesh or in the self and have the mind of Christ at the same time. And fourth it is not that we try to do what Jesus would do but that we possess his own mind now.
That's the part I would like to go into this morning. We haven't really talked about that yet. So turn to John chapter 12 in verse 49. It's not that we try to look and see what Jesus his mind was like and then emulate that that's impossible for us to do in our own power and in the flesh and just by the will of man we cannot do that.
It is far greater than that. When we say we have the mind of Christ we mean that his mind and our mind can be merged as one his spirit and our spirit merged as one spirit within us within this temple where he dwells.
Your spirit is there his spirit is there and we become one. That is the possibility and the probability and the commandment that we have in the New Testament. We're not commanded to keep a list of rules were commanded to keep that oneness.
Be you filled with the spirit. That's a command. It is a choice that we make moment by moment. And we are not sinning when we go out and do the acts that we call sins. We're sinning when we break that oneness and go into the flesh in the self-life all manner of evil can come.
A Christian can do any evil thing that a lost person can do when he breaks that Union doesn't mean he loses his salvation. It just means he's not in fellowship with the one. With the groom the Bride of Christ being the church Jesus being the groom they're supposed to be one spiritually.
Now this is exactly how Jesus operated. So let's look at his life as a model. I know he's more than a model. But this morning I want to look at him as a model. Look at John 1249. If we are supposed to have the mind of Christ when Jesus was here he was supposed to have the mind of the father.
How did he do this. 1249. For I have not spoken by myself. The little word of can be translated by he means I didn't speak in on myself when I speak. But the father which sent me he gave me a commandment which I should say and what I should speak.
So when it comes to that thing that gets us in trouble more than anything about us our mouths the words that we say don't they get us in trouble. And we can't take them back. Can we. We're already messed up when they come out.
When it comes to that all-important thing of our words Jesus rule was this. I just don't say anything of myself. I don't say anything in and of myself. I speak only that which the father would have me speak verse 50.
And I know that his commandment is life everlasting whatsoever I speak. Therefore even as the father said it unto me so I speak. So would you say that Jesus had his own mind. Yes. But he had the mind of the father.
Didn't he and his mind in the father's mind were one mind. So that when he so perfectly in the life of Jesus that when he spoke he was speaking the words of the father. Only when he worked with his hands he was doing the work that the father was doing in the world.
Only he said if you don't believe me believe me for the work's sake. Why could he say that. Because his works were God's works on the earth and people could see it. This is our model. Now I go to John chapter 9.
Verse 4 I'll show you something very interesting. It continues talks about this same model. But then it introduces some information about us. It parallels us perfectly with the Lord Jesus and says if he is supposed to live that way then so are we John 9.
For I must work the works of him that sent me. So do you see the self of Jesus coming out here. No you see him yielding himself to the father and having the mind of God and doing the works of God. So he says I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh when no man can work.
Now look at verse 5. As long as I am the in the world I am the light of the world. Now I want you to hang on to that thought a moment because we're going to get some information about us that deals with light.
So keep that in mind. Now turn to John 14. In verse 10 the Bible makes a perfect parallel between Jesus having the mind of God and us having the mind of Christ. It works the same way. The same mechanism God has given us the same mechanism Jesus Christ had.
It's amazing to think about. Now look at John 14 10. Excuse me. First it's going to show Jesus living this way and then it's going to give some information about us. John 14 10. Believe it's now not that I am in the father and the father in me.
Well isn't it true that Jesus is in us and we're in Christ. That's true. So that mechanism is the same the words that I speak unto you. I speak not of myself but the father that dwells in me. He does the words and he does the works.
Can that not be true of us. It can be. But only when we're filled with the Spirit. That's why we're commanded to be filled with the Spirit. Verse 11. Believe me that I am in the father and the father in me.
Or else believe me for the very works sake. Look at verse 12. It brings us into the picture. Verily verily I say unto you in the light of what I just said Jesus said just as that is true. This is doubly true.
That's what verily verily means. It means truly truly I say unto you he that believes on me the works that I do shall he do. Also do you see the parallel. Jesus says I don't say any words unless they are the father's words.
I don't do any work unless it's the father's work. And now he says the work that I do shall you do. It's the same thing. The works that we do ought to be his works because our mind in his mind ought to be one mind.
So when we're in that state the very words we speak are the words he would speak. Were he in that situation the very works that we would do or the works that he would do because he's not here on this earth physically we are his body in this world.
Verily verily I say unto you he that believes on me the works that I do he do also it's not like we look and see what he does and we go do it. It says we do it also we're doing it together at the same time.
Do you see that it's not emulating works. It's not finding a list somewhere of everything Jesus would do. It's not that it's walking in time and space and walking forward with him hand in hand one with us both doing the works at the same time and they happen to be the same works.
The reason we can do these works and he says and greater works and these shall he do because I go to my father. Because now since Jesus has gone to the father he through the Holy Spirit is omnipresent and therefore he can work one one and be one with each one of us at the same time all over this planet.
That is a greater work than he walking as one man on this earth was if you can believe that it is truly a greater work. Jesus said so what so ever you shall ask in my name that will I do. That the father may be glorified in the son.
Why is prayer important to get stuff we need not primarily not at all. In this context prayer is important because it aligns us with the words of God and the works of God and the will of God and causes our very next step to be the step he is taking in us.
Now it's interesting if you drop down to verse 17 in John chapter 14 he says it's good if I go because I will send a comforter that he may abide with you forever. In verse 17 says this is even the spirit of truth.
And I want you to look as we read this passage to this progression. There is a dwelling in us. There is an eye dwelling in us and there is a we dwelling in us. Look for the he the I and the we and circle it.
In your Bible verse 17 even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not. Neither knoweth him but ye know him for he. That's a hint. I said it louder. So there's the he dwelleth with you and shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless but I will come unto you. There's the I and that's Jesus. G drop down to verse 23. Jesus answered and said unto him if a man loved me he will keep my words. Now why is that.
Because we're doing his words and his works. We're one with him. We have one mind with Christ. We have the mind of Christ and my father will love him and we now circle the we will come unto him and make our abode with him.
So now you see that the Holy Spirit living in you is both a he which is the Holy Spirit and I which is the Son of God Jesus Christ and a we which includes the Father. So you have all of the fullness of the Godhead living in your temple today.
Can you grasp that the words that you say ought to be his words. That's why the Bible says when we speak to one another the words ought to always be edifying building up the person that we're speaking to never tearing him down because Jesus never tore down anyone on this earth.
And the harshest words he ever had were to Satan's seed. When he looked at them and said you're of your father the devil. He was speaking to the religious leaders who had had all these rules and everything to to what they said was God's way and God never said it was that way.
He said where I go you cannot go because you're of your father the devil. But watch out for the religious ones around you. They're not walking in Christ. They're walking in the spirit of the anti Christ.
It will get stronger and stronger in these last days. But we have the Holy Spirit who brings to us the Son and the Father and we are complete. How is it that we have the mind of Christ. Then because we have the mind of Christ.
Not because we emulate some rules or find out how he lived and try to copy it. Because we have his mind we are one with him. Now remember the verse in John 9. For where it says. As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.
He said I must work the works of him that sent me. Check out Matthew 5 14. What does it say. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick that it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. Think not that I came to destroy the law and the prophets. You see when we say that we're complete in him and therefore we're above the law and the prophets doesn't mean we destroy it.
What it literally means is it is fulfilled because in Christ the law is fulfilled to its fullest. So I didn't come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am NOT come to destroy but to fulfill. And how is it fulfilled when we are one.
When our spirit is one with his spirit. When our mind is one with his mind then the works that are done in this world are greater than the works when he was walking in this world. Because he walks in all of us and the he the I and the we are in all of us.
Now it's interesting that he says think not that I come to destroy the law and the prophets. I am NOT come to destroy but to fulfill. He says. For verily I tell you the truth till heaven and earth pass.
One jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Now I want you to turn with me to 1st Corinthians chapter 12 in verse 13 I want to give you three verses now that show that the mechanism is the same as it was between Jesus and the Father.
I'm gonna give you three different passages. 1st Corinthians 12 13 is the first one. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body. Whether we be Jews or Gentiles or that we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one spirit.
That drinking into one spirit is a picture of our spirit being merged together and becoming one with the Holy Spirit who has entered our body at the moment of salvation. That's why it says baptized into one body.
Now listen that were bad Pete. So doesn't mean anything to do with water. A lot of people confuse that they think baptized means you sprinkle or you dip or you pour. You don't. It doesn't mean that primarily it can if it's talking about water baptism.
But the word baptized is not even an English word. Think of it this way. It means to be placed into. That's what the literal Greek word means. So if you read it that way for by one spirit are we all placed into one body.
Now water baptism pictures that because when you step into the water it pictures that you died with Jesus. When you go under the water pictures you're buried with him and when you come out you're risen again with him because you're in Christ.
You've been placed in him so that when he died you were in him. When he buried you were any when you wreck. When he rose again you were in him in God's mind. That's why your sins are forgiven. Listen God is the ever-present now.
He doesn't have to go back in time or forward in time. He's now all the time you can't even talk about it right. But he's the now he says I am period I am so the day that Jesus died on the cross do you know that the father saw every sin of your whole life between the day you were born the day you're going to die out there.
He's already grabbed all that in every sin you've ever done and placed those into the body of Jesus the day that he died. That's what it means to say you were baptized in Christ. You were placed in his body in God's minds I he already knew the future.
He already knew every sin you would do because you were his. He placed those sins in the body of Jesus and he was crucified. And he died not for his sins for he had none. He died for years in mind. That's what being baptized into his body means.
It doesn't mean baptized water. It means we were placed in his body by God spiritually we were placed in him when he was on that cross suspended dying. You were with him. The old man was dying with him.
He had no old man or sins of his own. It was all about your sins not his. And our sins were in him on the tree. The Bible says so by one spirit the Holy Spirit who can move about in time in space he's omnipresent.
He's everywhere at once. He's every wind at once can take your sins spiritually and take them back and place them in the body of Christ. And that's what happened. So they're covered. They have been paid for.
You cannot add anything to that. It happened two thousand years ago from our reckoning of time. You can't add to that. Nothing you can do can add to that. If being in Christ when he died and shed his blood didn't pay for your sins then you are lost forever.
No man's religion will ever add anything to make that better. So throw man's religion out and just praise God and thank him for the precious blood of Jesus. And that time that he spent on the cross one day some two thousand years ago.
And the fact that God being not bound by time was able to see your whole life and place you in him so that you died with him. Your old man died with him and is crucified stands crucified. That's why the flesh has no right of lordship over you.
It shouldn't tell you what to do. Do you know. You should tell it what to do. You should tell your body serve God. And it should do it because he that's in us is greater than he that's in the world. So we're baptized by one spirit into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles where they're bond or free.
For we've all made to drink into one spirit. Now let me let you see another one. Ephesians 2 18. Keep your hand there in Corinthians though. We're gonna come right back to first Corinthians with this last verse.
Ephesians 2 18. For through him we both have access by one spirit unto the father. Do you see that. That's the we that was in us. We read earlier I is the Holy Spirit. I'm sorry he is the Holy Spirit.
I was Jesus. He said I will come into you. And the we includes the father. For through Jesus we both have access by one Holy Spirit unto the father both means the Jew and the Gentile by the way that is the great mystery that the Old Testament prophets looked into but couldn't understand.
And that's why they killed Jesus. Because they didn't understand this mystery that we're complete in him. We have access because of Jesus by the Holy Spirit unto God. We don't go through anybody else Jesus.
We have been placed in Jesus. Remember the verse we just read where it says by one spirit we're placed into his body. Where is his body right now. Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God. Guess where you are.
You are in Christ. You've been baptized into Christ. You are sitting at the right hand of God. You have access to the father because you're in Christ. You're complete in him. There's nothing greater can be done for you.
It's been done. That's why we call it the finished work of Jesus. You know one of the last things he said before he died on the cross. It is finished. That proves he did it. We don't do it in that. Wonderful.
Now I want to go to the last verse 1st Corinthians 616. This is an amazing passage. When I read it from my notes I'm going to leave a little part of the phrase out so your eye will see the whole verse says.
But I want your ear to hear the way I read it because what God does is he makes a likening of the physical union of a man and woman to the spiritual union of my spirit and in God's spirit or your spirit and God's spirit.
So the earthly union of man and woman is used as a picture a physical picture to help us understand the oneness that we have with God. Now listen to me as I read it. What know you not that he which is joined is one body for two sayeth he shall be one flesh.
Do you see the oneness there that it speaks of. Now look at verse 17. It gives the spiritual picture. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. So what does it mean to have the mind of Christ.
Here's your spirit. You get saved. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in your body. You learn what it means to be spirit-filled. And you say you learn to simply apply it this way. Say Lord give me the mind of Christ.
And you become one mind one spirit. The words that he would say you would say the works that he would do you would work. The steps that you're going to take the very next one is going to be his steps because you're one with his mind.
Now next time we will take a look at what his mind is like. But I wanted to teach this first so that you won't try to emulate that. It's wonderful to see it and know about it. Because you can use that as a check upon yourself.
And I can use it to check myself to see if I'm connected. Because when I'm connected my mind is like that. And when I'm like this my mind is David. And you don't like that. We don't understand how bad we really are.
Sometimes we should go back to the depravity of man more often. But we need to stay like this. And this is what brings unity in the church. We're all different. We're all from different backgrounds. You know we're all so different.
We should never get along with one another. But you know what. When we're all like this we not only have one mind with Christ we have one mind with each other. The Bible says the church has one mind when we're spirit-filled.
So that is how it's done. Now let me say practical application. You're you're you're tempted with a sin today or tomorrow. Please practice this. Go immediately to prayer and say Lord I don't even like that thought or that vision or that thing that came before me.
So I ask that you give me the mind of Jesus Christ right now that I might think like he would think that I might react as he would react that I might be as he would be. And you know what that temptation will flee.
You will not fulfill fulfill that sin. Try that it works because it's not an it. It's a relationship. It's a holding hands with the powerful one who is greater than anything. And he'll take you through any temptation.
You can go for great seasons without sinning many many days in a row if you walk one and one if you stay one with the mind of Christ. And if every temptation that comes you practice saying to the Lord Lord give me the precious sweet holy beautiful mind of Christ right now.
Because this one I'm thinking with is not that way. So give me his mind and you become like this. And you will not do the sin. You will glorify God. And that's the practical way. So let's stand and have prayer together.
Next time we will mention go through some scriptures and talk about the attributes of the mind of Christ. Father we thank you for your word it is so powerful and so wonderful so encouraging so quickening.
Please apply it to our minds in such a way that we'll walk out of here today and apply these truths. And Lord we ask you to bless our fellowship together. And the food we're about to have. And we ask it in Jesus name.